Freakin' Teenagers
by autumnpaws
Summary: Sam, Dean, and Castiel find themselves in an odd situation when they are forced to hide and raise an out of the ordinary child.
1. Chapter 1

"Any new freaky deaths lately?" Dean asked, before taking another swig of his almost empty beer bottle. The blond hunter sunk even further into his chair, a gruff whine escaping his throat as he got comfortable.

"Nothing yet, just a couple murders and kidnappings but nothing worth checking out," Sam sighed, re-reading the local Oregon newspaper. Sam was sitting at the end of one of the old motel beds, unknown colors staining the barely clean sheets. "Maybe all the monsters and Demons are taking a break?"

"Well, don't get too hopeful," Dean grunted sarcastically, setting down his beer on a nearby table, "I'm sure those Sons-of-Bitches are out there somewhere, just waiting for us to find them." Sam folded up the paper and threw it on the floor. He sat up from off the motel bed and stretched his arms, letting out a small groan. He then glanced at his older brother, giving him an apologetic look before grabbing both of them another beer from the motel's mini fridge.

"We just saved the world, Dean. Again," Sam said, handing his brother the cold canned beverage, "we could use the break."

"We've _had_ a break, Sammy! We haven't left this freakin' hotel room in two weeks! I am _itching_ to get back out there and hunt something!" Dean threw his hands up in obvious frustration, eyeing his taller, little brother with the 'are-you-serious' look.

"I may be able to help with that." A deep, almost robotic voice sounded from the corner of the room, causing both Winchesters to spin around on their heels to face the direction of the new sound. Standing stiffly before the brothers was an expressionless, dark haired man in a trench coat, staring stoically at the two men in front of him.

"Cas!" Dean just about jumped for joy when he saw his angel friend, leaping out of his chair and wrapping him in a tight hug, patting his back. The casual male hug. "Where have you been? I tried praying for you but you never answered." Dean stepped back to meet Castiel's icy blue eyes, hands still on the trench-coated man's shoulder, his own green eyes searching for a hint of emotion on the angel's face. Castiel kept Dean's gaze, his lips parting slightly, ready to speak, but he hesitated with a loss for words. "Come on, man, spit it out," Dean huffed, taking his hands back and putting one hand to his hip and the other scratching his stubbly chin.

"I may have found a case that you and Sam could partake in, but…"

"_But_?" Dean pressed his lips together in annoyance.

"But you wouldn't like," Castiel finished, breaking away from the older Winchester's stare.

"And uh, why exactly wouldn't we like it?" Sam asked, stepping into the conversation. He crossed his arms and gave Castiel an accusing look. The angel sighed then straightened himself out, making him look for confident.

"There has been recent sighting of a group of middle aged men seemingly holding a child hostage," Castiel's jaws clenched as he searched for words to finish the story, "I have reason to believe that this…child is my nephew." Cass, again, met Dean's Gaze, this time holding it sternly.

"Y-your nephew? But Cass, you're an angel! You have brothers and sisters, and last time I checked angels don't have babies!" Once again, Dean threw his hands in the air to emphasize his sentence. Castiel shifted slightly from one foot to another, but never looked away from Dean, hoping to find signs of approval in the human's eyes. Sam stepped in between the two, shoving Dean back with a hand to his chest and stepping forward to get closer to Cass.

"We aren't going anywhere until you start explaining," Sam huffed.


	2. Chapter 2

The three men sat at a table in the local diner, Sam and Dean sat together as Castiel sat across from them. Cass fidgeted with his hands, trying to distract himself from the accusing eyes of his friends.

"15 years ago," Cass began, "A rebel angel got into a relationship with a Demon, and-"

"A Demon?! Cass-" Dean was about to jump over the table to grab at Cass until Sam pushed him back to his seat.

"Let him finish," Sam said, glaring at his brother. Castiel nodded slightly, ready to continue his story.

"The angel was one of my younger sisters, who was thought to be dead. About 2 weeks ago we found out that she is dead, but not before she gave birth to a little boy. This child, being half Demon and half Angel has been raised and hidden from us by his father. We were able to spy on the child for a short amount of time, before they re-located and were hidden from us again. This boy, Jake is his name, lives a fairly routine life. He is beaten daily by his father and other Demons that pass by. His only social skills were acquired by books and a Television he was given to keep him quiet, aside from some tutoring offered every so often. Being part angel and part demon he does not require sleep or food. Surprisingly he is quite intelligent and seems to hold up well given his current situation. We were able to recently locate him again because it seems that some of his Grace, or 'angelic mojo' as you call it, has began to show itself," Castiel sighed again and looked down solemnly at his hands as he finished his summery of the event. Dean and Sam sat quietly for a moment, taking in the story that their angelic friend told them. Sam nodded and finally broke the silence.

"Well, what do you want us to do about it?" Sam gave Castiel a warm and concerned look, before nudging his brother to do the same.

"I need your assistance in rescuing Jake. He may be the nephew of every Angel and Demon in existence, but he is in no way concerned about in a loving manner. Demons want him dead and Angels want to use him for testing."

"And uh, why do you care exactly? I mean, you just said that Heaven wants to use the kid as a lab rat, so why should we help you?" Dean asked Cass accusingly.

"I believe that Heaven is making a mistake. We don't know the powers that Jake holds, which is in truth frighting, but he is a child, and my nephew none the less. I just-" Cass looked towards the window, searching for words before looking back at the brothers before him, "I feel that I need to protect him." Dean breathed a long slow sigh as he straightened himself out in the diner's booth, nodding at nothing in particular.

"All right, I'm in. If anything, I seem to be a sucker for kids in need," Dean said, giving Castile a weak smile before taking a sip from his now luke-warm, diner, beer.


	3. Chapter 3

The small shed was cold and dark, leaving only the sour smell of blood and sweat to fill Jake's senses. He was used to it though. His entire life he was kept locked up in some tiny, smelly, building, with only a dead rat to keep him company. It wasn't all bad though, for sometimes his father would assign some of his men to keep the boy occupied and to teach him basic skills. He was also allowed to read books, watch T.V., and draw if he behaved. His father was a small man, dark skin and short black hair. At least the vessel that his father wore was, anyways. His father was really the cloud of black smoke that rose from Hell 15 years before. When his father wasn't beating or humiliating him, Jake was left to keep himself busy. He usually drew to keep occupied and became rather good at it.

The sound of angry muffled yelling and stomping feet roused Jake from his thoughts. He ran towards the corner of the shed and curled himself in a protective ball, his bare and bruised back facing the open. The hitting hurt less that way. After a few moments of terrifying silence, the large metal door that held Jake captive swung open and hit the wall, making a loud booming sound to echo throughout the small room. Slow, heavy footsteps came crashing on the ground, getting louder as the unknown person drew closer and closer to the cowering boy in the corner.

"I gotta' bone to pick with you," came a deep, gruff, and slightly slurred voice, "well actually I'll just pick you with a bone." The man made an amused chuckle as he stopped and stood right behind the child. Jake knew better then to look up and meet the angry, black eyes of his father. It would only make the beating worse. In a single and fluid motion, Jake was picked up and thrown against the opposite wall, becoming pinned to the concrete building as if by magic. Though it was not really magic, but the psychological strength that some strong Demons possessed.

Jake stayed pinned to the wall, arms stiffly by his sides and unable to move. He didn't dare show any fear, knowing full well what the consequences would be. His father took long dramatic strides towards Jake, what seemed to be a human leg bone held in his hands. The bone was broken at the tip, leaving it extremely sharp and pointed. Finally, the man was close enough to Jake that Jake could smell the whiskey lingering off his father's lips.

"15 years ago," Jake's father began, "I killed your god-forsaken mother, hoping to have cleaned up my mess. But then it turns out that she had a horrible, disgusting baby that very same evening. I figured I would just kill you," the man's lips curled into a smile as he lightly traced the sharp end of the bone across Jake's throat, "But what fun would that be? So I raised you and hid you from all the others, even my own father, Lucifer, in hopes that one day we could use you as the ultimate weapon." His murderous grin quickly turned into a look of disgust as he moved the bone towards Jake stomach. "As it turns out, you're nothing more then a chore!" A gasp of air escaped Jake's lips as he stared down at his father's bloody hand. No longer being held against the wall, the boy's body slumped to the ground, causing the tip of the bone to sink deeper into his abdomen. Shaking and in shock, Jake caught one more glance at his father's black eyes before slipping into unconsciousness. "Happy birthday, Jake."


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you really that stupid, Sammy?"

"Dean, listen, I'm not saying this is a great idea, but it's our only one. Cass can't take Jake with him to heaven, and the kid has nowhere else to go."

"Don't forget he's being hunted by all the creatures of Heaven, Hell, and _everything_ in between!"

The rest of the conversation became muffled and lost as Jake glanced around at his new surroundings. No longer was he bleeding to death in the back of an old shed, but he was laying comfortably in large bed in an average looking motel room. Two men were standing by his bed, their backs facing him as they bickered at each other. Years of pain and terror helped him choke down a scream of fear that raised through the confusion of his new environment. Calming down after a few moments, Jake took the time to asses his situation. The room he was in was small, but well furnished. There were no leaks from the ceiling or blood stains on the floor. A small lamp seemed to be illuminating the room with quite easily and the only smell was that of cheap fast food burgers. After examining his immediate surroundings, Jake came to the sudden realization that he was in pain. Actually, he was in a lot of pain. His shock subsiding, the pain in his stomach from the stab wound intensified, letting a small whimper of pain escape his dry lips.

Dean and Sam both turned around quickly after hearing Jake wake in pain. Sam darted to the sink with a cloth to wet it, Dean kneeling down beside the bed to give a comforting squeeze to Jake's hand. Sam rushed back to the wheezing boy and placed the cool damp cloth over his forehead.

"Hey, stay calm kiddo, you're gonna be okay," Dean assured Jake, giving his hand another squeeze. Sam looked at Jake with a guilty smile before turning away to look up at the ceiling.

"Castiel! If you can hear my prayer, get your feathery ass down here!" Sam yelled to nowhere in particular. With a sound of fluttering wings, the trench coated angel appeared next to Jake's bed, a concerned look flushing over his normally stoic face. Cass gave Dean and Sam a knowing look before placing his hand on Jake's bloody abdomen. Jake let out another whimper of pain mixed with fear as his stomach wound slowly began healing. After a few moments, Castiel took back his hand to reveal a simple scar where the once fresh wound used to be.

"He will be fine," Castiel mumbled, "he just needs rest now." Jake looked up at the angel, terror filling his eyes as his cheeks became streaked with new tears. Castiel wiped his hand across Jake's wet cheek, giving him a warm smile. "Hello, Jake, my name is Castiel. I promise that you are safe here and we won't let anything bad happen to you." Before Jake could fully take in the angel's words, Cass gently tapped two fingers on Jake's head, causing the child to slip into a deep and restful sleep. Dean and Sam took a step back and let out a sigh of relief.

"Cass, what the hell was that?" Dean asked, folding his arms, locking his gaze with the angel's. Both Sam and Castiel looked back at Dean in confusion. Dean chuckled slightly, "'we won't let anything bad happen'? Since when did you become all warm and fuzzy?"

"Dean, shut up," Sam scolded, almost sarcastically, shaking his head in annoyance. Castiel gazed over Jake's sleeping form before returning his attention back over to the older Winchester, this time a more stern look on his face.

"In case you forgot, _Dean_, that children are far more vulnerable to their emotions then we are," the words that rolled off of Castiel's tongue were almost venomous, "He has been through every definition of Hell and has yet to comprehend where he even is. So I suggest that you gather any sympathy you can muster and use it. For _his_ sake." As fast as he came, Castiel was gone, leaving the two Winchesters to ponder by themselves. The only sound left in the small, run down motel room, was that of slow, shallow breathing from the sleeping child in the old motel bed.


	5. Chapter 5

The old clock in the library chimed when the small hand hit 6. The sun hadn't even risen yet and neither had Dean. Sam on the other hand was pouring himself his second cup of strong coffee, a crumpled up newspaper laying on the counter next to him. Sam looped his finger around the handle of the green coffee mug while he balanced the newspaper, and now his laptop in the other hand. Sam was glad to be back at their permanent base and not still stuck at the small motel. Distracted with his usual morning routine, he never heard Jake's sweeping footsteps stop outside the kitchen archway. Sam set all his belongings on the kitchen table, then ran his fingers through his long hair as he sighed and examined the pile of paperwork flowing across the small round table. Jake never took his gaze of the tall man, studying him carefully as he played with a sharp kitchen knife hidden behind his back. With cautious steps, Jake quietly snuck up behind the busied man, Sam's attention still focused on the flood of paperwork. Jake tightened his grip on the handle of the knife and raised it above his head, intending to stab the sharp metal into Sam's back. With one quick motion, Sam ducked underneath the fast moving blade, grabbing the boy's hand and twisting it behind him. The knife dropping to the floor, Jake realized he was pinned; face down on the table, the taller man now holding both his hands against his back, as if he was being arrested.

"Good morning," Sam breathed, carefully releasing Jake and helping him back up into a standing position. Sam used his foot to slide the knife further from Jake's reach, making sure the boy wouldn't dive for it and try to murder him again. Trying not to tremble, Jake raised a shaky hand and pointed it at the tall man, a look of confusion and anger sweeping across his face.

"Who are you?!" Jake yelled, putting his hand back down to his side and clenching his fist until his knuckles turned white. "Where am I?" Jake's breath became steadier as he tried regaining some self-control. Sam put his hands up in defeat, showing Jake that he was no threat, hoping to calm the terrified child.

"My name is Sam Winchester; my brother's name is Dean Winchester. We aren't going to hurt you. In fact we are trying to do the opposite. 3 days ago we found you bleeding to death in the back of an abandoned, metal shed, so we rescued you and took to our base." Sam smiled weakly, slowly putting his hands back down. Sudden realization took over Jake as he looked down to where the stab wound used to be, remembering the pain he felt as his father shoved the pointed end of a bone into his stomach. He lifted his white shirt; not knowing how he got it, and examined a round, white scar in the old wound's place. "Like I said, we aren't going to hurt you." Jake looked back up at Sam, his mouth gaped open in awe.

"You said 3 days ago? Bu-but I'm healed and-"Jake mumbled trying to wrap his mind around his current situation. Sam nodded and took a step closer the Jake, a reassuring smile curling his lips.

"Our friend healed you. He's uh…He's an angel" Sam tried grabbing Jake's arm, missing when Jake jumped back in defense. Jake shook his head, still drowsy from 3 days sleep.

"My father," he began, "My father told me about you. H-he said that the Winchesters and the Angels are going to kill all of us if we don't stop you." Absolute terror portrayed in Jake's eyes, slowly stepping back to find a chance to run away. A single tear rolled down the boy's face as he continued shaking his head in disbelief.

"Jake, your fathers wrong. Well, kind of. I promise we aren't going to hurt you." Sam matched Jake's small steps, evening the distance between them.

"How can I trust you?" Jake asked in an unsteady voice.

"Because you aren't a demon, Jake, you're a child, who-who's scared and abused and alone. We just want to help you." Jake was now cornered against the kitchen wall, allowing Sam to get closer, more then he was comfortable with. "Jake, do you know what you are?" Sam stopped walking when he was in arms reach of the cowering child. A slight warmth filled Sam's eyes calming Jake and allowing him to take steadier breaths.

"I'm uh…I'm half Demon and half Angel," Jake answered, his eyes darting around the kitchen, "I mean, that's what my father told me."

"True," Sam nodded, finally being able to get somewhere with his one-sided conversation.

"But more importantly I'm a monster," Jake stated, his brows furrowed and lips pressed tightly together. He heard a slight disbelieved scoff as Sam shook his head to no one in particular.

"Is that what they told you? That you're a monster?" Sam questioned. The depressed and hopeless look on Jake's face gave Sam his answer. "Jake, you are _not_ a monster."

"Then I'm a freak."

"No"

"I'm useless."

"_No_! You're not any of those thing! You're just Jake, end of story, okay?" Sam took another step closer to Jake, searching the boy's face. Jake wiped the stray tear from his eyes and nodded solemnly. Then, with years of pent up emotions, Jake finally felt safe enough to fully cry. He tried covering his face but, as his body shook with sobs, he couldn't gather the energy. After a few heavy moments; the sound of shaky crying echoing through the kitchen, Sam mustered up the courage to gently wrap his arms around Jake, whispering soothing words into the boy's ear.


	6. Chapter 6

The long table in the library served for both reading, and eating purposes, especially when Sam was too busy to do only one at a time. After finally waking up and properly meeting Jake, Dean decided to try and make breakfast for the three of them. With Sam busy reading, Jake sneaked into the kitchen to watch the older Winchester cook. Dean was nodding and humming to himself, the theme easily recognized as the _Eye of the Tiger_, while he flipped a cooked pancake onto a nearby plate. The blond hunter turned around to put the dirty pan into the sink, when he spotted Jake watching him curiously. Dean almost dropped the pan, gasping in surprise at his unexpected visitor. He took in a deep breath then calmly placed the pan into the sink.

"Don't sneak up like that," Dean sighed, turning back to look at Jake, "Are you okay? Do you need something?" Jake looked away from Dean and eyed the plate of pancakes, confusion painting his face as he scrunched up his small nose at the smell. Dean followed his eyes to the pancakes, chuckling to himself before looking back at Jake. "What? You've never had pancakes before?"

"I've never eaten before," replied Jake, quietly. Dean's expression flushed from happy to horrified so quickly, Jake thought the older man was going to be sick.

"So, they never fed you? I mean, I get that you don't have to eat, being part angel and all, but-" Dean found himself at a loss for words. "You know what?" Dean grabbed the plate of pancakes then handed them to Jake with enthusiasm, "Today is the day that you actually get to eat something, and lucky for you, your first meal will be my amazing homemade pancakes." The blond hunter took Jake by the shoulders and led him into the library, having him sit at the table that Sam was currently working on. Sam stopped reading, having heard the conversation in the kitchen; he decided to see what Jake's reaction would be to his first bite of food.

Jake looked at Dean and Sam curiously, the brothers' eyes watching back with amusement. He reached for the pancake with his hands, only for them to be slapped away by Dean.

"No, see, you use a fork to eat pancakes, not your hands," Dean playfully scolded, pointing to the silver fork on the table next to the plate. Jake gave an irritated sigh before picking up the fork, holding it clumsily. Dean shook his head and chuckled, reaching over Jake's shoulder to correct his hold on the silverware. "There, now that's how you hold a fork." After a few minutes of failed table etiquette, Jake finally mastered his grip on the fork, cutting a piece off the pancake carefully and popping it in his mouth. Heavy tension filled the air of the room as Sam and Dean watched Jake slowly chew and swallow his first bite. After a few moments of silence, Jake's withheld grin showed itself as he greedily took another bite. Dean threw up his arms in triumph and Sam stifled back a laugh, both glad for the nice change in the room's atmosphere. Not long after, Jake finished his plate of pancakes, unable to contain his smile of contentment. The first true smile that Jake was able to make in his entire life.

A sound of fluttering wings announced the arrival of Castiel, catching the other three people by surprise as they were distracted by their small bonding moment. The sudden appearance of the angel caused Jake to jump out of his chair and hide behind Dean, clutching the back of the older Winchester's jacket with whitened knuckles. Dean wrapped his arm gently around Jake's neck, pushing him forwards towards the trench-coated man.

"He won't hurt you," Dean assured him, gesturing to the stiffly standing angel. "He's the one that sent us to rescue you, so you should be thanking him." Jake shakily inhaled then untangled himself from Dean's arm, cautiously walking closer to the raven haired man standing silently at the end of the table.

"Hello, Jake," Castiel greeted, a warm smile plastered across his face. He watched as Jake got just close enough to be out of arm's reach before weakly smiling back at the angel as a form of silent greeting. The two stared awkwardly at each other until finally Dean stepped in between them and gave Castiel a slight pat on the shoulder.

"So, Cass, what brings you here? Any news on that demonic ass-hole that locked up and beat his son?" Dean asked nonchalantly.

"Assuming you mean Jake's father, yes, we have located his whereabouts," Castiel answered sternly, keeping his gaze towards Jake.

"Well, alright, let's go gank the son-of-a-bitch," Dean said eagerly, tapping Castiel's shoulder again before spinning around to grab his duffle bag. Sam stood up, ready to help pack when Jake climbed on top of the large table, standing as tall as possible to catch the attention of the three men in the room. Dean laughed and shook his head, "What's up Kiddo? Playing Tarzan?" Both Castiel and Jake tilted their heads to the side in confusion.

"I don't understand that reference," Castiel and Jake both said in unison, making the Winchester brothers laugh. Dean kept forgetting that angels were behind in modern entertainment.

"But really, Jake, you okay?" Sam asked, continuing to pack his bag with old books and pens.

"I' going with you," Jake said flatly. The entire atmosphere of the room seemed to tense as all three men turned to Jake and give him a disapproving look. Dean stopped packing and walked over to Jake, gesturing for him to leap off the table. Jake did as he was told and landed a few inches from Dean, never taking his eyes of the older hunter.

"What did you just say?" Dean asked, his voice lower then normal.

"I'm coming with you," Jake replied, his tone serious. Dean leaned in close to the boy's face, his brows furrowed.

"_Hell_ no," Dean said, shaking his head slightly, "We're not going to put you in danger, Jake." The tension in the room kept raising, and everyone could feel it.

"You can't stop me," Jake scoffed, pushing past Dean to grab a bag of his own. Dean sprinted over to the angered boy and grabbed his shoulders, spinning him around to look into Jake's light blue eyes. Dean shook his head again, clenching his jaws and tightening his grip on Jake's arm.

"I said no," Dean repeated, "You are gonna' plant your ass here, where it's safe, and lay low. We'll have a friend of ours come stay with you while we're gone, and you _will_ behave, alright?"

"I can help," Jake practically screamed, "I am part angel after all. I can do things and-"

"Not for long," Castiel cut off, slowly striding over to the tensed up child. Jake's face fell as he tried to comprehend what the angel was saying.

"What do you mean not for long?" Jake asked with a disbelieving tone.

"I mean that in the next 24 hours you will become a normal human child," Castiel's arm reached up and grabbed Jake's shoulder tightly, causing Jake to gasp in pain before falling to the ground, unconscious.


	7. Chapter 7

The entire room seemed to spin when Jake woke up, staring ahead at the white ceiling. With an attempt to sit up, Jake realized that both his arms and legs were handcuffed to the metal ends of an old bed. His breath caught in his chest, Jake was terrified that his father had found him and was going to finish the job. His thoughts were cut short when the wooden door to his small room swung open to reveal Dean, Sam, and Castiel, watching him solemnly through the doorway. Jake almost laughed, thinking he realized the mens' true intentions.

"I knew I couldn't trust you," Jake scoffed, looking back up at the ceiling, "I really thought-" Jake's words became stuck in his throat as he willed himself not to cry. He caught a glance at Sam shaking his head sadly, moving towards him.

"Jake, this isn't what it seems. We are trying to help you, really," Sam assured him.

"How the _Hell_ is being tied to a bed helping?!" Jake screamed, anger rising in his chest.

"The things you've been feeling, Jake, the powers you've been noticing, that's your soul being consumed by un-earthly energy," Sam explained, "Half of your soul is being taken over by angelic grace and the other half by demon's blood."

"I know," Jake muttered, trying to look anywhere but at Sam's pleading eyes.

"And so does every body else," Dean cut in, stepping further into the room, "and if we don't stop it, your messed up soul will be sending neon signals to every creature from Heaven, Hell, and between." Dean locked his green eyes on Jake's, forcing him to stare back.

"If your soul becomes consumed, I can truthfully say we would have no idea what the end result will be," Castiel sighed.

"So, what, how do I stop it?" Jake asked, obvious irritation showing on his face.

"You can't," replied Castiel, silently gesturing for Sam and Dean to leave the room, "But I can." Castiel stood to Jake's side, looking down at him, emotionless. Sam and Dean nodded to Cass and gave one more guilty smile to Jake before leaving the room, closing the door behind them.

"What do you mean," Jake hissed.

"I will clean your soul," the angel answered, examining Jake's abdomen, as if searching for something. "I can put a type of barrier between your soul and the things trying to consume it, making you as human as they come."

"What then?" Jake questioned, uneasiness portraying in his voice.

"We'll hire a hunter to train you, make you as strong as you can get as a human. Even when you will no longer have any type of power, Demons, Angels, and other creatures will never stop trying to find you," Castiel replied. Jake simply shook his head is disbelief, a single tear escaping his bright blue eyes. "Jake," Castiel sighed, "Cleaning your soul will...hurt, but if I don't it will get you killed." At this point, Jake could hardly care anymore. The horrid possibilities of his future ran through his mind, making him want break down and cry again. He didn't know anyone else besides Dean, Sam, and Castiel, and he didn't think he would be able to trust anyone else either.

Castiel's normally stern expression softened when he saw Jake's fearful one. The angel gently swept the boy's brown hair from his forehead at an attempt to sooth him before rolling up his sleeves. Cass used his right hand to cradle Jake's head before pushing his other hand into the child's abdomen, causing a scream of agony to fill the small room. Instead of blood, cracks of light poured from the hole that Castiel's arm was in as he dug around inside to search and clean Jake's soul. All the while, the angle continued to cradle Jake's head, repeating soothing words in attempt to ease his pain.

It had taken over an hour for Castiel to finish cleaning Jake's soul, the entire time agonizing screams filled both the heads of Sam and Dean as they waited in the library. Cass walked out of the small guest room where the cleansing has taken place to meet the brothers. The angel rolled his sleeves back down and nodded solemnly to the waiting men.

"He will be fine," Cass answered the Winchesters silent question, "He just needs rest now. It may take a few days for him to fully recover, but no doubt he will."

"So he's human now?" Sam asked, shifting from one foot to another.

"Yes, just as human as anyone else. I suggest you two wait for him to wake up before putting him into another hunter's care," Castiel said, lifting his head to meet Dean's gaze. The older Winchester shook his head.

"Sorry, Cass, but we gotta' go now. That monster tried killing his own son and who knows how many other people," Dean replied angrily. Castiel kept his gaze for a few moments more before nodding his head in understanding.

"Then...I will wait here with him," Cass suggested, straightening out his trench coat.

"Are you sure?" Sam asked.

"He needs someone to take care of him, and putting him with another stranger will just distress him even more then he is. So yes, I will care for him while you two find and kill his father." Sam and Dean gave each other weary looks before hesitantly agreeing.

"If you're sure," Sam replied, shrugging.

"Well, alrighty then," Dean scoffed, finishing packing his duffel bag. Sam threw his own, already packed bag onto his shoulder, then grabbed another smaller one filled with books for research. "You said that the Demon is only a few hours from here, so we should be back in no time!" Dean reassured Cass, smiling as he picked up his bag and grabbed the keys to his black Impala. "Call us if you need anything, okay?"

"Okay," Cass replied stiffly. Dean and Sam grabbed the last of their needed items, mostly weapons, and headed out the front door of the base, closing and locking it behind them. With the Winchesters gone, Castiel decided to stay in Jake's room, watching him while he slept in case the child had anymore nightmares. Unknown to the hunters, Jake had been having reoccurring night terrors every night since they rescued him from the metal shed, and Castiel had been there every night to watch and comfort him throughout it all. Even the brothers were not aware of his presence as they slept peacefully. The raven haired angel quietly crept into Jake's room, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest as he took in each breath. Cass gently sat down at the edge of the bed and grabbed hold of Jake's hand, squeezing it slightly as a warm comforting gesture, unknown to the unconscious child before him.


	8. Chapter 8

Jake had slept for over 24 hours, so when he awoke the next day with a headache he wasn't all that surprised. Castiel had been sitting on a chair next to his bed when he first opened his human eyes to the world; the angel held his hand tightly and kept it there even after Jake tried pushing it away. The boy had almost no energy, so when Cass refused to let him go, Jake simply sighed and retreated into his thoughts. After about a half an hour of awkward silence Jake returned his attention to the trench-coated angel that continued to stare at him.

"What are you doing?" Jake asked, finally getting annoyed with the uncomfortable hand-holding. Castiel simply smirked, breaking eye contact to watch the clock on the opposite wall.

"Easing your pain," Castiel replied after a few moments hesitation.

"By holding hands?" Jake halfheartedly chuckled.

"Yes," Castiel responded quickly, "I am using my own grace to help soothe the pain of your newly cleaned soul." Jake pondered his explanation, and then turned back to the angel with a confused expression.

"Why would my soul be hurting, if that's even possible?"

"A newly cleaned soul has, in a sense, been removed of its outer layer. For example if you fell and skinned your knee, the new layer of skin underneath is very raw and sensitive to the touch. Your soul responds in a similar manner," Castiel explained. Jake nodded slowly, finally understanding his situation.

"When will it get better?" He asked.

"It may take a few more days before you no longer feel its presence. Until then I will try to ease as much of your pain as possible."

"What about Sam and Dean?" Jake questioned an almost accusing look showing on his face. Castiel hesitated, not wanting to anger Jake and make things worse, but he didn't want to lie either.

"I've sent them to continue on with their hunt to find and kill your father," Castiel stated simply. He was aware of Jake's hand tensing underneath his own, the boy was obviously upset.

"I said I wanted to go," Jake said flatly, trying hard to keep the anger from seeping through his voice.

"As Dean had said earlier, it's far too dangerous," Castiel warned. Jake ignored the angel and kept his gaze locked onto the ceiling above him. After a couple of minutes of silence, Jake took in a deep breath and then sighed dramatically.

"I'm hungry," he lied, looking back at Cass. Castiel stiffened slightly, forgetting that Jake, now being a human, would need to eat to gain strength.

"What would you like?" Castiel finally asked. Jake closed his eyes thinking of somewhere he could send the angel to buy him enough time to escape the bunker.

"I want some noodles from China, freshly bakes bread from France, and some naturally harvested honey straight from a bees nest," Jake answered, trying hard not to reveal a sly smirk. Castiel looked at Jake with suspicion, but he gave him the benefit of the doubt and nodded in agreement.

"While I am gone, I will no longer be able to take away your pain," Castiel explained, "Gathering your food may take a while, so are you sure of your order?" Jake smiled and nodded dumbly, hoping the angel would hurry up and vanish. Castiel sighed and finally took his hand off of Jake's, watching the boy's reaction carefully. As Castiel had said, the pain appeared without the angel's touch, but Jake suppressed it and smiled weakly to show Cass he would be fine. With a quick nod if his head, Castiel disappeared from the small room, off to fetch Jake's ridiculous food order.

Jake let out a long groan of both annoyance and pain as he slowly sat up and got off the bed. He wobbly made his way too the library of the base and searched for something he could use as a weapon if needed. Much to the three mens' displeasure, Jake had formed a plan to hitch hike a drive to the location he knew his father would be at, and slay the demon himself. Dean and Sam may have known which town his father resided, but they did not know his exact location. Jake remembered being dragged to a seemingly occupied factory, for his father knew better then to hide in an obviously abandoned one. The old factory, re-painted to look new by his father's workers, was used to make Halloween props. So when the demons brought home another victim, the public took the blood and screaming as simply part of the Halloween decorations.

Snapping back to reality, Jake grabbed a sharp looking knife that was sitting on a stand on top of a bookshelf. Though normal blades wouldn't kill a demon, he had no other weapon and decided it was his best option. Jake took one final glance around the empty bunker before exiting, a devilish smirk plastered onto his face,

After a couple of hours of standing at the closest gas station, pleading to anyone for a ride into town, Jake was about to give up and simply walk. The raw pain he felt from his soul was exhausting to say the least but he was determined to be the one that took his fathers life, even if that meant walking the 3 hours all the way there. As Jake was about to leave the gas station, a mother and her young 4 year old daughter pulled up next to him. She rolled down her window and smiled warmly.

"Need a ride, honey?" she asked sweetly. Jake smiled back and nodded, thanking her as he got into the passenger seat of her navy blue SUV. Her daughter was in the back, strapped into a car seat. Her blond curls bounced up and down as she giggled at the new face. "Where too, sweaty?" the mother asked, her smile growing even warmer.

"I just need to get into the next town, thank you," Jake replied softly, keeping his eyes lowered in respect. The car's engine started up with a roar as she drove out of the station and onto the street.

"What's your name?" she asked, hoping to strike up a conversation, "and where are your parents?" Jake quickly thought of an excuse to keep the soccer mom satisfied.

"My name is Dustin," Jake lied, saying the first name that came to mind, "my parents are in the town we're driving too. See, they got themselves stuck because their car broke down, so I'm gonna' go help them out." Taking Jake's lie, the mother, who's name Jake later found out to be Linda, was droning on about how good of a son he was being. Jake simply nodded, appeasing her appetite for conversations.

The long hours of the drive seemed endless with the non-stop talking women and the intense pain filling Jake's soul. Weirdly enough, the 4 year old in the back seat was very quiet as she mostly kept to herself, staring out the window. When their car pulled into town, Jake mentioned that he wouldn't mind being dropped off anywhere, but Linda refused, saying she didn't want Jake walking all alone.

"I really don't mind," Jake almost pleaded, "my parents aren't far from here and I could use the walk." The warm smile that Linda wore turned into a menacing grin as she pulled into the next parking lot. She stopped the car and unbuckled her seat belt, gesturing for Jake to do the same. As he did, she got out of the car and walked over to his side of the car, opening the door for him. Extremely confused, Jake climbed out of the car slowly, almost tripping over his own feet. "Um, thank you for the ride, miss."

"Oh, honey," the mother cooed, "the ride is far from over." Jake looked at Linda in horror as her usually hazel eyes turned completely black. "You had us worried," she hissed, opening the back door of her car, reaching in and taking out the now crying toddler. She shushed the child calmly, stroking her blond hair. "You see Jake, your daddy's been worried sick about you," Linda finally said now that the screaming toddler had been quieted. Jake held his ground firmly, fishing for the knife he had hidden in the belt of his pants. Terror flooded over his face when he realized it was no longer there, fallowed by loud laughter of the demon in front of him. "You really are as slow as they come. I took your stupid play thing when you first got in the car. It wouldn't do much anyway, you twit. Normal weapons don't work on demons, you know that." Jake swallowed down the lump in his throat and continued to hold his threatening gaze towards the demon. As he was distracted by Linda, he didn't notice the other two demons coming from behind him, both wearing similar looking vessels. They looked to be about mid 30's in age, wearing fake uniforms that had logos for the old Halloween factory written across their chests. The taller man grabbed Jake from behind, wrapping one of his arms around the boy's neck and the other holding both of Jake's hands behind his back.

"Shall we take him inside?" the shorter man asked Linda. Linda smirked, handing him the wiggling toddler.

"Yes, and do get rid of this toddler, she's been a thorn in my ass all day." Linda gave Jake one last smirk before walking back to her car and driving away with a screech. Jake kept still in the taller man's grasp, trying to keep calm and think of anyway he could get out of his horrific situation. Without any further words, Jake was escorted into the old Halloween factory that was across the street. Jake hadn't noticed it before, being too busy talking with Linda. They walked inside from the back door, fallowing a dark, dirty hallway that led to a large room. The room itself was disgusting and moldy, stain of old blood practically covered the entire cement floor, making the stench match the sight. Jake was harshly pushed onto the cold metal table that centered the room, where he was stripped from his shirt and strapped down like an animal. His two escorts silently left the room, leaving Jake to his own thoughts. In their place, another man entered, an amused grin washed over his face as he basically skipped over to Jake's side.

"Welcome, boy," the man said in a gruff voice, his think Scottish accent leaking into his words. "My name is Crowley, but I'm sure you've heard of me," the man mused.


	9. Chapter 9

Jake felt his entire body shake in both fear and realization. Standing before him, with a sharp scalpel in his hand, was the King of Hell. Every fiber in his being wanted to scream, but he knew it would do him no good. Jake simply closed his eyes in defeat, waiting for whatever pain that was sure to come. He heard the demon scoff as he walked around Jake slowly.

"I feel hurt, Jake, really I do," Crowley sighed, "Do you really think I would just torture some poor child without question?" Jake kept silent, his eyes now open and watching the demon wonder aimlessly around the room. "You see, I actually do have questions, for example," Crowley paused, walking closer to Jake, "where have you been?" Jake had his lips pressed tightly. If he was going to die, he should at least die with some dignity. Crowley simply smiled, eying the boy carefully as he gently traced the scalpel over Jake's tender flesh. "Well, by the disgusting smell of it, I gather you have been with the Winchesters, am I right?" Jake remained silent, though obvious fear filled his blue eyes. The King of Hell let out an irritated sigh before jamming the scalpel into Jake's left hand, causing a loud scream to escape the boy's throat. "Maybe now you'll learn that patience isn't one of my virtues, if I had any," Crowley chuckled. Jake gave a small whimper of pain as he came to the understanding that now being human, he can feel a lot more then he could when he was half angel and half demon.

Crowley slowly and painfully removed the blade from Jake's hand, flicking off the blood with a quick movement of his wrist. "Now, how about you start answering my questions before things get worse, eh?" the demon mocked, his stupid grin still hanging on his face. "It appears that the Winchesters found a way to make you human, am I correct?" Jake nodded, his cold gaze fixed onto the smirking demon. "An uh, how did they manage that?" The boy bit his lip, willing himself not to give anymore information. He disobeyed the brother's rules, which is probably going to get him killed, but he would rather die then to put them in anymore danger. Even if he only knew the Winchesters and Castiel for a short time, he still felt obligated to protect them in any way he could. This obviously upset Crowley, for the King of Hell wasted no time in taking another slice to Jake's bare skin. Blood gathered at Jake's sides as the demon lord kept slashing and dicing away, leaving oozing red wounds behind. Of course, the cuts were not deep enough to be fatal, but it still hurt enough to have the room filled with screams of agony.

After half an hour, Crowley stopped to wipe the blood off of his hands. Much to his surprise, Jake was still conscious but refused to give any answers. Crowley was about to pick up a different instrument when the two double doors that lead to the exit of the room had been smashed open. The demon lord spun around on the balls of his feet, coming face to face with the three men that now entered the room. A large fake smile plastered itself across the King's face as he realized they the men were non other then the horrid Winchesters, fallowed by their trench-coated angel.

"Hello, boys," Crowley greeted roughly, stepping away from the cart full of torture devices, "I see you got past my guards and angel barriers. Well done!" Sam held the colt, a gun fashioned to kill demons, towards Crowley's face. Dean tightened his grip on his demon blade and Castiel on his angel blade, both held up in a fight-ready stance. "Not here to play? Shame, I was hoping we could have a bit more fun before I kill off your new friend here."

"Step away from him, Crowley!" Castiel demanded in a deep threatening voice. Crowley looked at each of them, then finally fixed his gaze back onto the angel who had slowly been stepping closer to Jake. The sharply dressed demon lord let out a slight chuckle, shaking his head with amusement.

"Well, I see who's mama bear in the family," Crowley retorted towards Castiel. The angel continued to try and get closer to Jake, his angel blade locked firmly in the direction of Crowley. "Oh please, Cass, you know better," Crowley said, smirking. With a quick hand motion, Castiel was sent flying across the room, crashing loudly against the wall. Dean rushed to Castiel's side, helping the angel to his feet while Sam kept the gun pointed at Crowley. "As mush as I wish I could stick around to play, I have other businesses to attend too," The king gestured towards Jake and the straps that held the boy down released. "Until next time boys!" With a snap of his fingers, Crowley disappeared, leaving the 3 men looking around the room in confusion.

"What the hell was all that?" Dean asked to no one in particular, straightening himself out. Sam put the gun back in the strap of his pants before running over to the bleeding child, assessing his wounds carefully.

"Cass, can you-" Sam was cut short as a large man behind him cupped his hands around the taller hunter's throat, squeezing until Sam could no longer breath. It was the same man that had captured Jake the first time, followed by the shorter demon who was busy pinning Dean against the wall. Castiel was about to aid Dean, when a different demon, this one wearing a female meat-suite, cut him off and pushed the angel to the ground. Jake watched in horror as his three friends were being beaten by a gang of demons. Without any thought to his pain from the wounds he received earlier by Crowley, Jake jumped off the table and ran to the cart that held the hundreds of different torturing devices. Jake picked up the gallon of holly water and carried it over to where Sam was fighting his enemy. Jake opened up the jug and dumped the entire container on top of the demons head, a loud hiss of pain came from the demons mouth as he fell to the ground. Regaining his strength, Sam pulled the colt from his pant strap and aimed it at the demon, a sharp crack sounded when the hunter pulled the trigger. Jake then rushed over to Dean and Castiel, who were struggling with the two demons that stood before them. Jake noticed that Dean's demon knife was on the ground behind one of the demons, who was continuing to punch the blond hunter until blood streaked from the massive gash on Dean's cheek. Jake picked up the knife from the ground and plunged it into the demons back, the same time Sam had fired his gun at the other demon who was chocking Castiel. A few moments of silence filled the room as Dean and Cass shook themselves off, looking down at the ground, embarrassed of having almost been taken down so easily. The 3 demons lay on the ground, lifelessly, blood pouring out from each of them.

"Um, thank you," Sam said to Jake, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence. Jake simply nodded, staring at the ground. Suddenly, he felt his entire body shake as tears gushed from his eyes, only sobs and whimpers escaped him when tried to say anything audible. Sam and Dean were about to leap over to Jake's side until Castiel held his hand up, signaling for them not too. The angel quickly walked over to the crying boy and tightly wrapped his arms around him, helping steady Jake's trembling body. To everyone's surprise, Jake returned the hug, holding onto the back of Castiel's tench coat with all of his strength as his wounds began to vanish. After a few minutes, Castiel released Jake from his hug but held his hands firmly on the boy's shoulders, their blue eyes searching each others. Warmth spread through the room as Jake and Castiel nodded to each other in unspoken understanding.


	10. Chapter 10

The ride home was awkwardly quiet. Dean drove, Sam sat in the passenger seat and Castiel and Jake took the back. After the first half an hour of the drive, Jake started to doze off, exhausted from his day's adventure and new to the fact that humans actually had to sleep. Soon enough, the boy was in a deep slumber, his small body leaning against the car window. Castiel watched Jake closely as he noticed that the child began to flinch in is sleep, a sign that Jake was having another nightmare. Gently and quietly, Castiel took Jake by his shoulders and laid the boy down so his head was resting on the angel's lap. Cass placed his hand on Jake's head, guiding some of his angelic grace into Jake, allowing the nightmares to cease and letting Jake rest comfortably. Dean, watching through the review mirror, couldn't stop the warm smile from unraveling on his face. At that moment, everything seemed perfect. Dean was happily driving down a back road, covered by forest for nice scenery. Sam occupied himself by reading out of their dad's old journal, Jake was fast asleep on Castiel's lap and Cass himself seemed to be at ease as he gently stroked the child's hair. If Dean could just live like this forever, he would. No more pain, no more loss; just his family. The thoughts of Crowley and Jake's father interrupted Dean's happy moment, causing his smile to turn into a sour expression of anger. Dean vowed to himself, then and there, that he would track down and finish every last demon in existence, but for now, just killing Crowley and Jake's father would have to suffice.

The rest of the ride home was just as quiet, so by the time they got back to the base, Jake was still in a deep sleep. Castiel silently volunteered to carry the sleeping boy inside and he did so carefully as to not wake Jake. After placing Jake back into the guest room, Castiel came out to meet the brothers who were drinking down a couple of beers.

"How is he, Doc?" Dean asked, a goofy smile hanging on his face as he took another swig of his beer. Castiel tilted his head in confusion.

"I am not a doctor," Cass stated flatly, ignoring the amused expression from his friends. "As I said earlier, it will take a few days for Jake to make a full recovery, so this little mission of his has tired him out quite easily." Dean simply nodded in response, finishing off the last of his beer. Cass sat down at the library table then gave Dean a stern look. "Have you found a hunter to raise him yet?" Castiel asked after a few moments.

"Yep," Dean replied quickly. The angel seemed to perk up, obviously interested in his friend's choice.

"Us," Sam joined in, answering Castiel's question. A look of puzzlement swept across the angel's face.

"Cass," Dean began, putting his beer down onto the table and sitting up in his chair, "that kid needs a home. A place to stay with a family that will love him and protect him. Now we are the worst possible choice, but we may be the only one. Cause' personally, I don't trust anyone else to look after him properly." After a moments hesitation, Castiel nodded his head, smiling.

"I suppose you're right, Dean, and I promise to do my best to help him," Castiel assured before standing up and walking back towards the guest room. Before entering, Cass turned to face the brothers who were eying him in confusion. "I may have an idea."

Jake woke up by the sound of muffled music playing outside his room. Realizing where he was he jumped out of bed, not noticing his new change of clothes; a gray v-neck t-shirt and dark blue jean shorts. As Jake fumbled his way out of the room, he saw Castiel, Sam, and Dean huddled around a laptop, the song _Smoke on Water_ portraying from its small speakers.

"See, Cass, now this is what every beginner guitarist plays," Dean mused, pointing to the computer screen. Castiel was about to reply to Dean's comment until he suddenly stiffened, turning around to face Jake who was standing at the library's entrance.

"Good morning, Jake," Castiel greeted soothingly.

"Morning," Jake replied, playing with his hands shyly.

"Hey kiddo, how you feeling?" The older hunter asked, turning away from the computer and locking his gaze on the sleepy looking teen.

"Um, okay I guess," Jake replied quietly. As Jake continued to play with his hands, he noticed a small black marking on his wrist. He looked at it closely, trying to figure out what it was. He heard a slight chuckle come from the brothers as they watched him with amusement. Jake gave them a suspicious look, slightly annoyed that he didn't know what they were laughing at. "What?" He finally asked in a demanding tone. Castiel cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the three humans in the room.

"Jake," Cass started, fixing his gaze on the boy's blue eyes, "that marking on your wrist, that is an Enochian symbol."

"What does it stand for?" Jake asked, stepping closer to the angel.

"It means..." Cass paused, pondering his words before speaking again, "it means that you are, and always will be under my protection." Jake gaped at Castiel, his lips parted slightly as he tried to fully understand the angel's words.

"Basically, our trench-coated friend here branded you with a big fat 'Property of Castiel' sign," Dean explained. Sam suppressed another laugh, but the shocked look on Jake's face was making it hard.

"So like...a guardian angel?" Jake asked, his eyes darting around at the three men. Castiel nodded, his eyes never leaving Jake's. "Is that even a thing?"

"Not normally," Cass replied, "Very few angels will claim another human soul. At one point in time it was quite common, but ever since God's disappearance, all of Heaven has become disorganized, making most of the angels too busy to deal with simple human needs." Castiel stood closer to Jake, leaving only a few feet of distance between them. "Being a human, Jake, it makes you much more vulnerable and easier to find. Your uncles and aunts, both demons and angels will continue to search for you, so I have decided to keep you under both the protection of myself and the Winchesters." Jake nodded, slowly understanding until a brick of realization hit him.

"You mean I get to stay here, with you guys?!" Jake asked, excitement pouring from his voice.

"That's right kiddo, it's just us against the worlds." Dean held up his empty beer bottle in a happy gesture. If Jake's smile could get any bigger it probably would have torn his face in two.

"But listen, things aren't going to be easy. We have to train you, get you ready for the big face off with your father," Sam explained.

"You're letting me go with you to hunt him?" Jake was practically bouncing up and down at this point.

"Only," Dean began, looking Jake in the eyes, "if you promise to listen to us for now on, okay? No more solo missions for you. If we do this we do it together." The boy nodded ecstatically before rushing over to the blond hunter and embracing him in a tight hug.

"Thank you," Jake whispered, sniffling slightly as he tried to hold back tears. Dean returned his hug wholeheartedly, kissing the top of Jake's head.

"Welcome to the family business," Sam said wrapping his long arms around the two of them. Castiel awkwardly tried to join in on the hug before he was pulled in by Jake.

"If anyone saw this, they would think this is really gay," Dean scoffed, causing laughter to roar from their group hug. As "gay" as it looked, Jake never felt happier.

**AN:**

**Thank you guys for the awesome reviews so far! And don't worry, there will be more to come! **


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: **_hey guys, thanks for waiting, and as promised, here is the next chapter~_

* * *

The next few weeks had passed by rather quickly, everyone busy with getting Jake prepared for the life of hunting. Sam was in charge of homeschooling Jake, teaching him all there was to learn about monsters and how to kill them. Dean taught Jake the different kind of weapons and how to use them. In the end, Jake had settled with a machete, gaining an amused but approving look from the older hunter. When Jake was not busy having hunting information crammed into his head, he spent his time sketching on loose pieces of lined paper he found scattered around the library.

"Well, Damn, that's really good." Dean bent over Jake's shoulder as the teen was scribbling away on a half sheet of paper. The drawing was a detailed image of a deer, running through a forest. Jake didn't look up, simply grunting in response as he kept his head lowered to the library table, focused on shading in the picture. "Hey, c'mon kid, take a compliment," Dean said, patting Jake on the back.

"Sorry," Jake mumbled, still not looking up. Jake could practically hear Dean roll his eyes before walking away in defeat.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Dean asked from the kitchen, his voice almost muffled by the sounds of dishes banging together. Jake sighed and put down his pencil, finally lifting his head towards the direction of the kitchen. Thinking for a moment, Jake shook his head, even though no one was around to see his gesture.

"Not hungry," Jake called back. Jake sat up from his chair and stretched, eying his art one last time. Jake jumped slightly as Dean poked his head into the library.

"I didn't ask if you were hungry, I asked what you wanted to eat," Dean said flatly. It was Jake's turn to roll his eyes, shaking his head slightly to show how annoyed he was, but Dean didn't notice. "Well?" Dean asked, his brows arched in question.

"Fine. I'll have eggs or something," Jake finally replied with a sigh, "Oh, and some coffee."

"Got it," Dean nodded, heading back to the kitchen. Jake scratched the back of his head in annoyance, letting out a deep breath. Before the teen could sit back down to finish his artwork, a flutter of wings sounded throughout the room, leaving behind a trench-coated angel. Jake's sour expression turned warm as he nodded to Castiel in greeting.

"Hello, Jake," Cass greeted.

"Hey, Cassy," Jake replied, giving a weak smile.

"Yo, Cass!" Dean stepped into the library, a plate full of eggs in one hand and a mug of coffee in another. He set the food down on the table then looked at Jake with a stern expression, pointing to the plate. Jake groaned dramatically before sitting back down in front of the food and picking up a fork. Castiel tilted his head to the side, looking at Jake with puzzlement.

"Are you two in some kind of domestic disagreement?" Castiel asked, watching Jake halfheartedly playing with his scrambled eggs. Dean sighed, pulling the angel to the side, out of Jake's earshot. When Dean was sure that Jake wouldn't be able to hear him, he locked his gaze on Cass's.

"Something's up with the kid, he just refuses to eat anything I put in front of him," Dean explained. Cass pondered the hunter's words for a moment, sneaking glances at Jake, who still hadn't taken a bite of his food. Castiel then looked back at the hunter, examining him closely, causing Dean to shift around uncomfortably. "Dude, what?!" Dean snapped, causing the angel to come out of his weird trance. Castiel nodded knowingly, making Dean even more confused.

"Jake is sad," Cass answered flatly.

"Sad? Wait, Cass, how do you know?" Dean asked, cocking his head to the side. Castiel returned his gaze back to Jake, who left his food completely and resumed drawing.

"Dean, being Jake's 'Guardian Angel' or whatever you call it, I can sense his emotions. For example, I know that he is sad," Castiel replied. Dean took a moment to think about Castiel's response before chuckling to himself slightly.

"So uh, would you be able to tell when he's horny?" Dean questioned, smirking to himself, obviously amused with the scenario he had playing in his head. Cass sighed and shook his head slightly.

"Anyway," Cass started, ignoring Dean's immature question, "I can sense that he is upset, but for what reason I am unaware." Dean nodded, his entertained look turning back to that of a concerned parent.

"Well how are we supposed to figure out what's makin' him all depressed," Dean threw himself into deep thought. The angel tilted his head, giving dean a bewildered look.

"Why don't we just ask him?" Cass suggested, almost sarcastically; if angels could even be sarcastic. Dean rolled his eyes again, shaking his head.

"Cass, buddy, we can't just ask a teenager why their upset. He might throw something at us," Dean retorted. Ignoring the older hunter's argument, Cass walked past Dean and strode over to Jake's side. The angel watched quietly as Jake finished shading in the trees behind the galloping deer.

"It's wonderful," Castiel complimented after Jake had finished, the teen putting down his pencil.

"Thanks," muttered Jake, leaning back in his chair with a sigh. The angel traced his finger over the deer, then gave Jake a knowing look.

"You are the deer depicted in this picture, are you not?" Castiel asked soothingly.

"How the Hell did you come to that conclusion after looking at it for no more then five seconds," Jake asked, scoffing.

"Because whenever you focus on your drawing of the deer, your emotional senses increase, leaning more towards the realm of sorrow." Cass replied, his eyes gazing over the drawing.

"Dude, that sounded way more poetic then it should have," Jake said, giving a small smile. The angel dismissed Jake's sly comment and moved to sit in the chair next to Jake, locking their icy blue eyes together. Cass could see Dean from the corner of his eye, the hunter was leaning against the door frame, trying to listen in on the conversation. The angel simply ignored him and kept his focus on Jake.

"You are upset Jake, why is that?" Castiel asked, the angel's eyes searching the boy's face. Jake shrugged, attempting to look away from Castiel's gaze.

"Jake." The way the angel said Jake's name was soothing and gentle, causing Jake to fully return Castiel's stare. Jake was about to open his mouth to speak when Sam came rushing into the library, folders of papers tucked under his arm.

"Guys, I think I found a case."


	12. Chapter 12

_**~The night before~**_

The night had been fairly unpleasant since Sam and Dean's dispute; something about their dad. Jake didn't pay much attention, but he was glad the argument stopped when Dean decided to go to the bar to cool off. Jake mostly kept busy as he began to lightheartedly doodle a cute picture of a deer, hoping that with the older hunter gone, the tension in the room would lighten a bit. The teen had only partly finished with sketching out the background before he heard a door open then slam close, an indicator that Dean was back from the bar, and most likely drunk.

From his room, Jake heard muffled talking coming from the library. He noticed Sam's voice was raising in frustration, though the younger brother tried hard to keep his tone hushed. Jake quietly slithered out of his chair, creeping towards the opening of the library but making sure to stay hidden.

"Dean, stop, you aren't thinking straight," Sam huffed. Jake could hear the annoyance in Sam's voice.

"I mean it, Sammy! I've spent my entire life trying to protect you, just like dad told me. Now we're raising a kid?!" Dean pressed his hands against his forehead, groaning in anger. "He's a burden, Sam! He's on Hell and Heaven's most wanted list and now we're expected to stop that?"

"Dean," Sam said patiently, trying to find words to sooth his angered brother. Jake didn't hear the rest of the conversation, for he slowly stalked back to his room, quietly shutting the door behind him. The teen threw himself on the bed, trying hard to swallow down the swelling lump forming in his throat. Jake's blue eyes watered as he replayed the argument in his head, trying to tell himself that he simply heard wrong. Of course he's been told much worse by his father, but those were nothing but meaningless sounds to him. Dean and Sam were all that Jake had; the only people he finally learned to trust and care about.

Jake smothered his face in his pillow, his body shaking with pent up emotions as repeated thoughts flooded his mind.

_Worthless monster. Worthless monster. Worthless monster. _

_**~Present~**_

Jake sat in the back of the Impala, looking out the window at the blurring trees as they drove over the speed limit. Dean, naturally, was driving and Sam sat parallel in the passenger seat with papers spread across his lap. Castiel had left on other businesses; doing whatever it is angels do.

Back at the "Bat Cave" as Dean calls it, Sam said he had found a new possible case. Thankfully the case was nearby, in Webber, Kansas, Lovewell State Park, so it was only about an hour drive from their base.

Jake slid farther down in his seat, his eyes locked on the view outside. The teen was trying hard not to let the previous day's argument get to him, though he admitted it was hard. Whenever he looked at Dean he could feel his heart tighten as he willed himself not to break down in front of the two hunters.

"So, the police reports say that they found a kid names Charlie Nowl outside his house, dead," Sam stated, reading the report in his hands.

"And the cause of death?" Dean asked raising a brow but keeping focused on the road ahead.

"Um, blood loss, caused by a lack of flesh on his _neck_. They think he was attacked by a dog or something."

"So vamps, huh? Awesome," Dean replied, chuckling.

"But why would they target some teenager, and outside of his home no less?" Sam asked. Dean simply shrugged in response and then turned up the radio that was blasting some Metallica song. Sam rolled his eyes before returning his focus on the papers.

"FBI, huh? What do the feds have to do with a dog attack?" The old man asked, scratching at his rugged stubble. The old man, who wore a name plate that said 'Berny', was in charge of the morgue at the nearby hospital. His white doctors coat swished behind him as he walked, followed by Dean and Sam, sharply dressed in suits. By now, the Winchesters were basically professionals at pretending to be FBI, wielding fake badges and all.

"Well, we happened to be in town when our higher up called; askin' us to take a look and make sure it really was a dog attack. You know, normal procedures," Dean said, though to Berny, Dean's name was Wilton Gossling and Sam's was Ryan Shur.

"I see," Berny said, unlocking the doors to the metal room. They entered in quietly as if not to disturb the forever sleeping bodies. The doctor unlocked a large metal drawer and then opened it to reveal something covered in a white sheet. Dean moved the sheet slightly; underneath was cold and pale teenage boy, a large chunk of his neck was missing.

"That dog sure had some sharp teeth," Dean commented, looking over the wound more carefully. Sam grunted and nodded in response as he was looking over the giant bite mark himself.

"Oh, Charlie was such a good boy," Mrs. Wilson said, dabbing her leaking eyes with a tissue. Jake nodded solemnly as he wrote a few notes in his notebook. "I think it's just so sweet of your school to write about Charlie in your paper. He really was such a nice boy." The elderly women grabbed another tissue from the Kleenex box that sat in the middle of her glass coffee table.

Knowing that Jake would be far too young to even be considered an FBI agent, Sam and Dean came up with the idea that Jake could investigate the case as a High school journalist student while the brothers went off to see the body. Much to Dean's disapproval, they parted ways and agreed to join back for lunch at noon, leaving the teen to find his own way around town.

Jake decided to talk to Mrs. Wilson first, seeing as she was the last one to see Charlie before his disappearance and later death. The old women happily welcomed Jake into her home and even made him a small cup of tea to sip on while he went over some of his questions. Jake recalled the questions that Sam had taught him to ask during investigating and he recited it to the old women with ease.

"Ma'am, where was the last place you saw Charlie?" Jake asked, trying hard to look remorseful. Mrs. Wilson nodded, taking another sip of her tea.

"Well," Mrs. Wilson pondered, "I was watering my garden like I do every Monday morning, when I saw Charlie walking down the sidewalk. Some other guy was with him, wearing a-a black hoodie and black…_everything. _I didn't get a good look at his face but I could just sense he was a no good kid!" She scowled.

"Did you see where they were walking too?"

"The forest behind his house, the one that leads to Lovewell state park, I believe." Mrs. Wilson answered. Jake nodded again and then took a glance at his watch; it read _10:30 am_.

_Good, _Jake thought, _gives me another hour to check out the forest without Sam and Dean breathing down my neck._

"Well, thank you for your time, Mrs. Wilson," Jake said happily, standing up and grabbing his notepad.

"You will send me a copy of your paper, wont you?" The old women asked, warmth filling her eyes.

"Of course," Jake lied. Jake shook her hand and said his goodbyes before leaving through the front door, sighing in relief that his fist interrogation went so smoothly. Jake pulled out his phone, a small cheap flip phone that Sam had given him to keep in contact, and dialed Dean's number. After about 6 rings, the older hunter finally picked up.

"Hello?" Jake heard a gruff voice say.

"Hey, Dean," Jake greeted. The teen was standing at the end of Mrs. Wilson's driveway, balancing his notepad in one hand and his phone in the other.

"Jake, are you okay? Where are you-"

"I'm _fine_, Dean. I've been talking to Mrs. Wilson and I think I got some pretty good info out of her," Jake explained.

"Alright, well are you done? We can end our part of search early and-"

"No!" Jake practically screamed, cutting Dean off again. He _needed_ to get more time to wonder around that forest by himself, even just to prove to the brothers that he wasn't some useless kid they needed to look after. "I, uh, still have some more things to go over with her," the teen lied, "Look, I'll see you at noon, okay?"

"Fine, alright," Dean finally agreed after a few moments of hesitation, "noon, and no later! Call me if you need anything alright?"

"Yeah, whatever," Jake muttered, rolling his eyes. He snapped the phone closed and shoved it in his pocket, doing the same to the small notepad.

Jake looked around the neighborhood for a moment until his eyes rested on the Charlie's house. Jake quickly sprinted next door, peeking inside the window to make sure Charlie's parents weren't home. Finding no one home, Jake climbed over the back gate and into the backyard. Just as Mrs. Wilson had described, a path to Lovewell forest started in Charlie's yard. Giving the area a last glance over, Jake entered the forest, a few branches and thorn bushes catching at his clothes and scratching any bare skin.

About forty minutes into the walk, Jake decided to give up and turn back, until a bright metallic shine caught his attention. Jake shaded his eyes with his hand and squinted as he tried to make out the object. It was a large but rundown metal shed, covered in Ivy and hidden quite nicely behind large trees. Jake, happy to finally have found something, started walking towards the building, not noticing the dark figure that crept behind him.

The teen was about to reach for the door handle of the shed before he was harshly shoved into a nearby tree, being held off the ground by nothing but his throat. Jake couldn't make out the face of his attacker at it was being hidden by a large black hood that covered the person's entire face.

"What the hell do you want?" Jake managed to spit out, his gaze locked on the figure before him.

"You," The figure answered, giggling slightly. Before Jake had anytime to retort, his attacker swiftly moved it's head near Jake's right shoulder, biting down with full force, causing a scream of pain from the struggling teen. With a wave of adrenaline, Jake kicked the monster away, making both of them land on their backs on the forest floor. Once again he heard the creature giggle to itself before taking off at full sprint, leaving Jake by himself, cussing at the figure as he used his hand to press down on his bleeding wound.


	13. Chapter 13

"Where the Hell is he?" Dean was pacing back and forth next to his car, which was parked right outside the local diner. "I said noon, did I not say noon?!"

"Yeah, Dean, you said noon," Sam replied, rolling his eyes. "Did you call him?"

"Of course I called him! I'm not stupid! He didn't answer and he's late so now I'm gonna' have to kill him!" Dean said, scratching the back of his neck as he walked. As both hunters were too busy throwing snarky comments at each other, they never fully noticed Jake as he walked up next to them. However, when Dean did notice, he had to restrain himself from punching the teen in the face for making him worry so much.

"Hey," Jake greeted stoically, his eyes focused on the ground.

"Dude! Where have you been?! I called, like, three times!" Dean yelled, stepping closer to the teen. Sam pushed his older brother back a bit, worried the older hunter might actually hit Jake, though he was certain Dean wouldn't.

"Sorry," Jake mumbled, "the interview took a little longer then I thought. She was just really talkative." Before Dean could open his mouth to respond, Sam jumped in.

"It's okay, you're fine and that's what matters," Sam said gently, trying to cool everything down. Jake physically winced at the younger brother's words, not knowing what the two hunters would do or say if they found out he was bit by a vampire. "Hey, are you okay?" Sam asked Jake, noticing the teens reaction. Jake simply nodded in response. It's not like Jake could tell him that just about an hour ago he was attacked and almost killed by a vampire, bitten no less. Not to mention the fact that he robbed a gas station for bandages and pain killers before almost passing out from blood loss on his way to the diner, and how would he explain, _not being turned into a vampire by the bite?_ Yeah, no real reason to tell the Winchesters.

"All right then, let's grab some grub," Dean said gruffly, turning around and walking into the almost empty diner. Sam and Jake silently followed behind.

Jake swore that either the Winchester brothers were really oblivious, or he was an amazing actor. At the diner, while Jake filled the brothers in on his interview, the teen was constantly wincing from his shoulder pain, he was extremely dizzy and was pretty sure he was running a fever. But Dean seemed much too busy flirting with the waitress, and Sam held most of his focus on his iPad. After they finished eating, or pretending to eat in Jake's case, they all jumped into the impala and drove to the motel room they were renting for the case.

The three of them walked into the room and Sam immediately sat down at his laptop, typing away furiously. Dean cracked open a beer and sat down beside Sam at the small table, flipping open their dad's journal to read up about vampires. Jake, seriously dizzy and extremely nauseous, decided to go to the bathroom to get away from the two hunters, not like they really paid attention anyhow. When the teen closed the bathroom door behind him, he staggered over to the sink and glanced at himself in the mirror. Much to his surprise, he looked fine, aside from being slightly pale and sweaty with fever. He took off his shirt and slowly unwrapped the stained bandage from his shoulder. The large bite wound, which was where his flesh should be, was continuing to bleed just as much as before. Jake cursed to himself silently as he grabbed a small hand towel and gently pressed in onto his shoulder, hoping the bleeding would stop soon. Jake was about to reach for a new bandage that he had in in pocket when a rush of dizziness swept him off his feet, causing him to bang his head against the small bathroom's wall and making a loud noise that echoed through the motel room. The teen cussed again and tried to gather up his blood stained hand towel and bandage before attempting to put his sweater back on.

"Jake?" He heard Sam's voice call from outside the door, "You okay?"

"Y-yeah," he stuttered in reply, still trying to put on his sweater but failing horribly and getting twisted in it. The teen quickly cleaned up the mess, throwing both the towel and bandage in the trash and wiping down any blood he left behind.

Jake practically stumbled out of the bathroom, meeting the confused gazes of the two hunters sitting at the table.

"Did ya' fall in?" Dean asked, laughing. Dean's amused grin was quickly washed away and replaced with a stern expression, his lips pressed together in anger and his brows furrowed. Jake looked at him innocently before noticing the feeling of a warm liquid running down his arm. Jake glanced over at his left side and saw the shine of blood dripping from his sleeve and down to the floor. He forgot to re-bandage his wound. _Shit._

Dean and Sam both slowly got up from their seats and walked towards the bleeding boy. They stopped a few feet away from Jake and Dean folded his arms. The older hunter looked more angry as Sam just looked concerned.

"Take off your shirt, Jake," Dean demanded. Jake let out a fake chuckle as he slowly backed away from the brothers.

"Come on, at least take me out to dinner first," Jake tried to joke, hoping to lighten up the mood.

Without hesitation, Dean leaped forward and basically headlocked the teen, gesturing for Sam to help. Sam jumped in front of Jake and, using his randomly hidden knife, cut the front of the teens shirt, making it easier to simply rip it off. The younger Winchester grabbed what was left over of the now bloodied sweater and stepped back, examining Jake. His face fell when he saw the lack of flesh from the teen's shoulder, though it wasn't as bad as Charlie's, and with quick thinking he used the ripped fabric as a make-shift bandage to try and stop the bleeding. Dean let go of Jake and ran out to the car to grab the first-aid kit, slamming the door behind him.

Eventually, the brothers were able to clean out the wound – they happened to have an opened bottle of alcohol – and sew it shut, wrapping it neatly with a new bandage. Sam laid Jake down in one of the beds and covered him with the thickest blanket the room had. During his little adventure of getting taken care of, Jake was surprisingly silent and obedient. Finally, after all was said and done, Sam sat on the edge of the bed and Dean stepped back, the stern look never leaving his face.

"What the hell?" Dean asked quietly, never taking his eyes off the teen that was now trying to hide himself behind a pillow.

"Dean, I-" Dean held up his hand, stopping Jake in mid sentence.

"Just...tell me something, Jake. Were you bit?" Dean asked slowly. Jake simply nodded. "And you didn't turn into a vampire?" Jake shrugged at this question.

"Maybe-maybe he can't? Like Cass did something and now Jake just can't?" Sam said, trying to offer an explanation.

"Okay." Dean nodded, excepting Sam's answer before returning his anger back to Jake. "And, uh, tell me another thing. Why didn't you tell us?" Jake wanted so much to just disappear, and he tried too as he sunk down into the bed as far as he could, but the teen knew it was useless.

"Because..." Jake hesitated, "because I didn't want to be a burden." Jake's answer caused Sam's face to soften as the younger hunter remembered his conversation with Dean a few nights before.

"You heard us?" Sam asked, his expression guilty. Again, Jake nodded. Dean scoffed, shaking his head as he began pacing next to Jake's bed. After a while the older hunter stopped and shook his head again.

"You're pathetic," Dean said simply.

Those words, those stupid and useless words that shouldn't mean anything to anybody, made Jake's world crumble around him. Jake watched quietly as Dean grabbed his coat and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?" Sam asked, standing up and walking towards his brother.

"Beer," was all that Dean said before opening the door and slamming it shut behind him. Sam gave Jake an apologetic look before opining the door and running after Dean, leaving Jake alone in the motel room. Jake sat in silence for a good five minutes, hot tears streaming down his face even though he had no intention to cry. His emotions were empty and he felt like he was trapped in a body that wasn't his own.

As if he was in a dream-like state, Jake slowly crawled out of the bed, ignoring the searing pain in his shoulder and walked out of the motel room. Standing at the doorway, Jake could see Sam and Dean yelling at each other at the end of the parking lot, though he couldn't actually hear them. Jake turned away from the scene and dizzily began walking to the side of the motel, which was covered by a small but thick forest. Without really noticing, the teen broke out into a full run; jumping over branches and bushes, and avoiding trees. His lungs burned as he could no longer fill them with enough oxygen, so Jake finally stopped, leaning against a tree to catch his breath. His whole world seemed to spin and grow dark, despite the fact that it was only late afternoon. Jake slowly slid down the trees trunk, the skin on his bare back catching the pieces of loose park and causing small stinging scratches across his shoulder-blades. Then Jake felt like he was on fire, his blood boiling as if he was burning alive. He shook his head, trying to grasp on the consciousness as unwanted flashbacks appeared in his mind like bolts of lightning.

Jake could practically hear his father's voice, taunting and menacing as the man's steady hands ripped into the teen's flesh with a sharpened scalpel, very smoothly and very slowly.

_"You're a monster, Jake, a pathetic monster that nobody loves. You deserve this." A deep slice. "This is your punishment." Another slice. "Monsters need to be punished." Another slice. Then continuing, slice after slice until the sharp pain was turned into a numb sore._

Jake came back from his memory, a hot singing sensation rippled through his left arm, blanketed by a warm oozing liquid that dripped onto the forest floor. The teen lulled his head to the side and could hardly make out the word "_Monster_" that was badly carved into his flesh and dripped a stream of blood. Only then did Jake notice the cold of the steel blade he held in his right hand that was now covered in crimson.

Then everything grew quite. The birds seemed to cease their chirping and the wind itself stopped blowing as the rest of the world grew dark until the teen could see no more.


	14. Chapter 14

The quite song of chirping crickets awoke Jake from his dreamless slumber, though unconsciousness from blood loss would have been a more accurate term. The teen kept his eyes closed, listening to the sounds of the night and trying hard to ignore the burning pain from his shoulder and arm. Hearing the sounds of the small insects, Jake gathered he had been asleep for many hours, which meant Dean and Sam knew he was gone. Groaning in both pain and annoyance, Jake rolled onto his back and opened his eyes, meeting the stare of Castiel's icy blue eyes inches from his face. A crash of sudden realization swept over the half asleep boy as he noticed his head was gently resting on the seraphs lap and his half naked body was covered by the angel's trench coat. Jake, speechless, tried to sit up but he was gently held down by Cas, the angel smiling warmly in return to Jake's confused gaze.

"What? How did you-" Jake began, but was interrupted by Castiel.

"I noticed a sudden lack of your presence, emotion and otherwise, so I decided to check on you and I found you bleeding and unconsciousness, almost dying really, on the forest floor," Cass explained. Jake hesitated, looking for words.

"Look, Cass I-"

"I know. I spoke to Dean and Sam. They told me what happened and...what Dean had said to you." Jake cringed at Castiel's words, "But what I don't understand, is why did you carve into your arm?" Jake didn't respond, but simply stared back into Castiel's eyes as a few hot tears left his own. "I see," Cass said nodding.

"I'm sorry," Jake choked out, his words almost caught in his throat as tears continued to stream from his blue eyes. "I'm so sorry, Castiel. I didn't- I just wanted too-" Jake couldn't finish his sentence as the lump in his throat turned into a full sob, the teen clenching onto the angel's trench coat as his body shook from violent cries. Castiel quietly offered a few soothing words and gently brushed his hand through the teen's hair. After a few moment the crying stopped and the air around them seemed to lighten.

"Jake," Cass began, breaking the silence, "I've known Dean for many years and I know he can be rather...harsh." Jake scoffed, wiping the remaining tears from his eyes. "But he does care, in his own Dean way."

"He said I was a burden, Cass," Jake choked, still holding back a fear tears. Castiel shook his head though he knew Jake wasn't looking.

"He didn't mean it," Cass sighed.

"Yes he did, and I'm tired of everyone pretending to care about me!" Jake growled, finally allowed to sit up. He turned to look at the angel, both of them sitting cross-legged on the ground. "My entire life I have been lied too and stepped on and I'm tired of that! I just want...I just want to mean something," Jake finished quietly. Jake's words quickly tore into Castiel's heart, the angel searching Jake's face as his own fell in sorrow.

"I care," Castiel replied quietly. Cass stood up and then helped Jake to his feet, the teen still blanketed by the trench coat.

"How can I believe you?" Jake asked, wiping a few stray tears from his cheek with the sleeve of his coat. Castiel gently grabbed Jake's arm, a slight hiss of pain escaping the teen's lips, and uncovered the sleeve of the coat, revealing a stained bandage that tightly wrapped around Jake's arm where the word "_monster_" was carved.

"While you were asleep, I cleaned and wrapped you cuts. For some reason I am unable to heal you as I can other humans, but I assume it is caused by your unnatural soul." Castiel earned a confused look from Jake, but shrugged it off and continued. "Now why would I do that if I didn't care?"

"You felt obligated?" Jake retorted.

"No. It's because I am your guardian angel. I am bound to you forever, even when you die and are sent to heaven I will follow you. That is not something that should be taken lightly," Castiel replied sternly. Jake fell silent, feeling a bit guilty about being sorry for himself.

"I'm sorry, Cass," Jake whispered, his eyes trailed down to his arm that the angel was still holding. Castiel sighed, letting go of the boys arm. They stood in silence for a few minutes, Cas looking around awkwardly while Jake wiped the rest of the tears from his eyes.

"I should get you home," Cass said, breaking the silence, "it's rather cold out here, and-"

"Shut up," Jake muttered, interrupting the angel. Without another word, the teen started walking back out of the forest wrapping himself tighter in Castiel's coat. Cass, though he was able to go anywhere without having to walk, quietly followed behind.

Eventually, the two made it back to the hotel. Castiel opened the door to the room that the hunters where staying at, a cold gust of wind signaling their arrival to the brothers. Sam and Dean leaped out of their chairs and ran to meet the Castiel and Jake.

"Jake, where have you been?! You-" Dean was about to go on a rant until Jake turned sharply and headed to the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him and locking it, leaving the three men in the room to stand in awkward silence.

"I think you should apologize, Dean," Castiel suggested in a matter-of-fact tone, breaking the quiet that was starting to become suffocating.

"No shit Sherlock," Dean growled back in response, rolling his eyes.

"My name is not Sherlock. Sherlock Holmes is a fictional character for a novel written in-"

"Dude, shut up."

"Dean," Sam began, interrupting the argument that he knew what go over the angel's head, "I don't think a simple apology is gonna' work this time."

"What the hell do you mean?" Dean asked, folding his arms, "An apology is an apology."

"Well, yeah, but the things you said to Jake-"

"I didn't mean it!" Dean scowled defensively.

"I know you don't mean it, but Jake doesn't know that. I mean, come on Dean, he's new to the whole emotions thing. His life has been a living Hell and we of all people know how that feels. Look, he isn't just some person you can be an ass to and get away with, he's a teenager with some serious mental damage." Sam sighed, looking at his brother pleadingly.

"I suppose I should mention that Jake had a recent panic attack of sorts and committed self harm," Castiel said quietly, looking a bit guilty.

"He what? What do you mean self harm? Like those emo kids in movies?" Dean asked, cocking his head.

"Dean!" Sam scolded, then returned his attention back to Cass. "What do you mean, Cass?"

"He carved the word 'Monster' into his arm, though I haven't figured the meaning behind it," Castiel explained. Dean sighed dramatically and sat down on the edge of the bed, his head cradled in his arms.

"I don't get it," Dean finally said, looking back up at the angel, "why on earth would anyone do that purposefully if not for some kind of summoning?" Dean was mentioning all the times that he and his brother had cut themselves, but only when their blood was needed to finish some kind of spell.

"I believe it was for some kind of punishment," Cass admitted, "he felt as though he deserved it." Sam shook his head in disbelief then looked back down at his brother.

"Dean," he said his brothers name sadly, trying to figure out what to say next.

"What? What do you want me to do about it? You're the one that said a simple 'Sorry' isn't going to work!" Dean almost shouted, throwing up his hands.

"Look, I don't know man, we'll figure it out. But first we have to wrap up this case. Jake said something about a metal shed in the woods behind Charlie's house. I'm assuming he actually saw it and lied about Mrs. Wilson telling him," Sam said.

"True, I mean how would an old bat know about an abandoned shed in the woods anyhow? Damn it, I should have suspected earlier," Dean growled to himself.

"Alright, well there isn't much we can do right now. I say we get some sleep and finish up the case in the morning," Sam suggested, earning a couple agreed nods from the other men. Sam nodded back and then walked over to the bathroom door which was still locked from the inside.

"Go away," Sam heard Jake say from the other side of the old wooded door before the younger hunter even had a chance to knock.

"C'mon Jake, it's late, we all need to sleep. Look, Dean will take the floor okay?" Sam offered.

"I'll what?" Dean asked, his head turning sharply to look at his little brother. Sam shot Dean a deadly glance before the older hunter grudgingly agreed.

"Yeah, yeah man I'll take the floor," Dean mumbled. After a few moments of defining silence the three men heard the sharp sound of the door unlocking and opening. The teen quickly slipped out of the bathroom and dived for the nearest bed, covering himself with the blankets so he couldn't be seen. Dean simply shook his head, scoffing as he made himself situated on the floor next to Jake's bed. Sam was getting ready himself until he stopped and noticed the angel standing stiffly in the corner of the room, quietly keeping his gaze on the boy under the covers.

"Cass, um, are you gonna' just stand there all night?" Sam asked uncomfortably.

"I can sit if you want me too," Castiel suggested. Sam ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head slightly.

means- You know what? Whatever, just don't freakin' stare at us while we sleep. It's weird," Dean muttered, his turn to cover himself in an ocean of blankets. Sam rolled his eyes and turned out the lights before getting comfortable in the other bed. Castiel looked around the room before taking a seat at the edge of Jake's bed, continuing to watch the rise and fall of the teen's chest as sleep peacefully consumed him.


	15. Chapter 15

Sam and Dean had left in the early morning, trying hard not to disturb Jake's sleep as they got ready. Thankfully, Castiel had agreed to watch over Jake while the hunters were gone on their case, leaving the angel alone with the still unconsciousness teen.

Finally, after around noon, Jake had enough energy to fully wake up, though still grumpy from the previous night's events. Jake rolled out of bed and managed to get himself tangled in the sheets, all the while Cass watched with an amused smirk.

"G'morning," Jake mumbled to the angel after finally getting out of bed. Castiel greeted back and stood up from the edge of the bed. "How long was I asleep?" Jake asked, rubbing his eyes which were now puffy from last nights tears.

"About eighteen hours," Castiel replied. Jake would have acted more surprised if he wasn't so tired and sore. The teen simply nodded then fell back onto the bed dramatically.

"I feel like I could sleep for eighteen more," Jake muttered to no one in particular.

"Though you still need much more rest to make a full recovery, you should try and stay active as well," Castiel explained, looming over the teen that was covering his head under a mound of pillows. After a moment, Jake pushed the pillows aside and sat up, cross legged on the bed.

"And what do you suggest I do, angel man?" Jake asked in a sarcastic tone. Castiel looked around the room to try and find something for Jake to do. Eventually his eyes rested on the deer drawing that Jake had been working on, which was crudely shoved into the teens bag.

"Have you ever painted before?" Cass asked, turning to look at Jake who held an unamused expression.

"You mean without blood as the paint? No, not really," Jake replied, rolling his eyes. Castiel smiled and offered out his hand to help Jake stand up, which Jake took after a moments hesitation.

"I've watched your kind paint for thousands of years and it really is one of the most beautiful things about humanity," Castiel explained with a slight grin. "I've seen every famous artist use paint to express the things they love and hate. At first, artist used the colors of crushed berries, but eventually they graduated to mixing chemicals and dye to make more vivid colors."

"Okay, and?" Jake seemed to be missing the point of Castiel's lectures, but then again, most people did. From Jake's attitude, Cass understood he wasn't making his point clear, so with a snap of his fingers the entire motel room turned into a sea of white. The beds, carpet, walls, and even the small table in the corner of the room was coated in a white so bright it was almost hard to look at directly. Then, on the small table, appeared buckets full of different colored paints which were set in order of the rainbow.

"I figured you would enjoy painting out your feelings," Castiel said, smiling a large, goofy, crooked smile that Jake had never seen before, which in turn made Jake's mouth crack into a warm grin.

"So you turned the entire room into a canvas?" Jake asked, chuckling and picking up a large paint brush. "Well, if I have to paint," Jake began, holding out another paint brush to Castiel, "then so do." The seraph carefully took the paint brush from the teen as if it were made of glass.

"What should I paint?" Cass asked, closely examining the brush.

"Well, what do you like too do?" Jake questioned.

"I do enjoy insects, mainly the bees," The angel answered.

"Why don't you paint a bee then?" Jake suggested. Castiel nodded in silent agreement, then walked over to the array of paint. He slowly dipped the brush into the black paint then focused his attention on the wall next to him, making long slow strokes on the white surface. Jake, pleased with himself, decided what he would paint and set to work on the wall opposite of Cass. Both the angel and teen were so focused on their paintings that the only sound in the room was the light whispers of the brushes against the smooth surface that acted as a canvas.

A good hour had passed by soundlessly. Jake had stepped back to examine his work with a satisfied smile. The wall, now covered in wet pain, portrayed a large, adult doe laying in a grassy field. Laying next to her was a small fluff of brown fur with large black eyes looking out at the world in wonder. A sharp sense of longing struck his heart as he continued to gaze over the picture.

Turning away, he caught a glance at the angel behind him who was just finishing up a few details. Jake walked over to Cass and looked past the angel's shoulder, a large picture of a bumble bee took up most of the empty wall. Jake had to cover his mouth so he wouldn't yelp in surprise at the extremely life like and extremely big bee. The details were spotless and it looked as if the monsterus insect would take off and flay at any second.

"That's a-amazing, Cassy!" Jake gaped in awe. Cass turned around and smile warmly, quite proud of himself.

"Thank you, Jake," the angel replied. Jake's eyes, which used to be glowing at the sight of the amazing painting, narrowed in suspicion.

"You cheated," he accused playfully.

"How do you mean?" Castiel asked, cocking his head to the side.

"You're an angel! So of course you're good at painting! It's not fair," Jake said, sticking our his tongue.

"Perhaps, though I wouldn't call it cheating, as-" Before the seraph could finish his sentence a splash of blue paint was splashed across the front of his coat. Shocked, Cass turned to see Jake holding a large paint brush that was covered in a deep blue, a smirk covering his face. Castiel cleared his throat, slightly annoyed, and picked up a brush himself, dipping it into the forest green liquid. With a flick of his wrist, a stripe of paint caught Jake across his face. The teen giggled and used the back of his hand to wipe it off his cheek.

"It's so on," Jake growled.

It had only been a few minutes until the entire room was covered in splatters of every color imaginable, along with a few hand prints that decorated the room now and again. Jake and Castiel stopped, letting the teen catch his breath before collapsing on his back on top of the paint covered bed, a loud laugh escaping his lips. With another snap of his fingers, Castiel turned the room and themselves clean and back to normal. The angel sat on the edge of the bed where Jake was laying, a smile still glues to the teens face.

Castiel was fairly surprised at how quickly Jake had fallen asleep. Cass gently moved Jake into a more comfortable position in the bed then covered him with a thick blanket to keep the boy warm. Though it was still mid-afternoon, Castiel was glad that Jake was resting again. He was aware that the teen hadn't eaten in a few days which was crucial to help with the blood loss, but he didn't want to push it and decided to wait until tomorrow morning before making Jake eat anything.

The rest of the day went by smoothly, Jake waking up every now and then, but most of the day was spent in bed. It was later that night when Dean and Sam had come back, covered in blood that thankfully wasn't theirs. Jake was already fast asleep, presumably for the night, and never woke up despite Dean being noisy as he got ready for bed. Sam had told Castiel they would fill them in about the case at breakfast in the morning which the angel agreed. Finally, everyone was passed out, except for Castiel of course who took it upon himself to watch over the three humans as they slept, and the rest of the night went without any issues.

Everybody woke up and got ready at nearly the same time, taking turns brushing their teeth and tripping over the scattered clothes on the floor. After they finally got dressed and packed they swiftly threw everything in the back of the Impala. The entire morning and drive to the diner, Jake hadn't said a word to either brother and mostly talked to Castiel, though their conversation held only a few words between them.

The Diner was fairly empty but it was no surprise to the hunters. They woke up early and got ready fast enough that they wouldn't be shocked if the food place was still closed. They quietly slipped into the nearest booth, Sam and Dean on one side and Castiel and Jake on the other. The old, grumpy waitress, who looked like she was still nursing a hangover, greeted them sourly and took their orders, holding back as many retorts as she could. Still not a word was spoken leaving the four to sit in awkward silence.

The waitress, which was later found out to be named Burniece, set down their food then stepped outside for a smoke break. Once again, uncomfortable silence spread through the diner.

"So, uh, the case," Sam stuttered, breaking the through the quiet, "we solved it."

"Yeah, turns out that suspicious guy that Charlie was hanging out with was actually a vampire chick. Her name was Alex and she was trying to convince Charlie to be a vampire, which he disagreed so she killed him. Simple as that," Dean explained. Jake simply nodded, glad that the case was over so he could finally go back home and not have to share a room with the Winchesters.

"Really? That-that's it? You just nod and- we killed the damn thing and you aren't even gonna' say 'good job'?" Dean asked in annoyance. He shook his head, obviously grumpy, and took a bite of his breakfast burger he ordered.

Sam had gotten a salad, as per usual, and Jake, though he had no intention of eating, ordered a small stack of pancakes. Sam and Dean hurriedly scarfed down their food, all the while eying Jake in suspicion as they noticed his lack of interest in his food. Castiel, also noticing this, gave Jake a stern look then gestured to the plate in front of the teen. Jake rolled his eyes then picked up the fork, silently obeying the angel. Dean dropped his burger, his mouth gaped in shock as he looked between Jake and Castiel.

"Are you kidding me? You listen to the angel and he doesn't even have to say anything, but you wont even speak to me?" Dean asked in anger.

"Pretty much," Jake muttered, stuffing a bite of pancake in his mouth. Dean was about ready to leap over the table, a very similar scene for Castiel, and slap Jake's stupid smirk off his face. Sam, again, was able to hold back his brother and save them all from being kicked out for public violence.

"Look, the case is over, so let's just go home and see what we can find on Jake's dad," Sam suggested. They all shrugged in questionable agreement then finished up their meal and headed back to the car. The drive being just as long silent then it was as coming.

They arrived back at the bunker around noon and Sam immediately dived back into research on any signs of Demonic activity. Dean cracked open another beer and Jake, followed by Castiel, locked himself in his room.

"Freakin' kid. How am I suppose to apologize to him if he doesn't even want to be in the same room?" Dean scowled.

"Like I said earlier, Dean, an apology might not be enough. Hey, the bunker's running low on food and Jake needs more then two pairs of clothing, why don't you two head to the store, get some forced time together and maybe take him out for his first ice cream?" Sam offered. Dean scoffed then gave Sam his famous are-you-serious look. Sam simply held his brother's gaze.

"You weren't kidding? What, you really think a girl's day out—shopping for clothes—is gonna make us BFFs?" Dean asked sarcastically.

"Yeah, Dean, I do. You need to actually get to know each other and not just the bad stuff either. Like, figure out what he likes and tell him what you like." Dean threw back his head and groaned dramatically before stomping his way over to Jake's room, trying hard to ignore Sam's smug look.

Dean opened the door to Jake's small room without knocking, receiving look of scorn from the teen that sat on the bed opposite. Castiel was standing in the corner of the room, looking as robotic as ever.

"What do you want?" Jake asked venomously.

"Sam says we need to go shopping. He thinks it will make our relationship blossom like flowers under a rainbow!" Dean made the last part as sarcastic as he could.

"I don't want to," Jake replied.

"Too bad, kiddo, we leave in an ten."

"I'm not going without Castiel, then," Jake stated, looking Dean dead in the eye. The hunter sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Fine, whatever," Dean muttered as he left the room, closing the door behind him. Dean staggered himself back into the library where Sam looked at him in question.

"He won't go without Cass," Dean said. "Why is that kid so tight with the angel?"

"Yeah, it is a little confusing. I mean, I get why he hates you-" Dean shot daggers at his brother, "-But I've been nothing but nice to him. Maybe it's because of the whole guardian angel thing?" The older hunter shrugged.

"I don't know, maybe. Doesn't really matter. I mean, if anything I'm glad Cass is the angel he's attached too and not some other ass-monkey with wings."

"So are you guys going?" Sam asked, raising a brow.

"Yep, let me just get as drunk as I can in the next five minutes," Dean retorted, taking another swig of his beer.


End file.
